Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you create an account or interact with our blog platform, we collect:

• Discord Account Information: Username, Discord ID, email address (if provided by Discord), avatar, and global display name
• Profile Information: Bio, pronouns, nickname, and any other optional information you choose to provide
• Content: Blog posts you author, comments you post, and blog suggestions you submit
• Activity Data: Interactions with blog posts, follows, and engagement metrics

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on platform, click patterns
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information, operating system
• Session Information: Login timestamps, session duration, authentication tokens

1.3 MyCirkle Integration

If you verify your MyCirkle membership, we collect:

• MyCirkle membership status and tier level
• Membership verification timestamp
• Association between your Discord ID and MyCirkle account

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide Services: Enable account creation, authentication, and access to blog features
• User Profiles: Display your public profile, including username, avatar, bio, and authored content
• Content Management: Allow you to create, edit, and manage blog posts and comments
• Social Features: Enable following, interaction tracking, and activity statistics
• MyCirkle Verification: Display membership badges and grant appropriate access levels
• Platform Improvement: Analyze usage patterns to improve user experience and functionality
• Security: Prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access to our platform
• Communication: Send important updates about your account or platform changes (if you've provided contact information)

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

3.1 Public Information

The following information is publicly visible to all users and visitors:

• Username, nickname, and avatar
• Bio, pronouns, and profile information you choose to make public
• Blog posts you author
• Comments you post
• MyCirkle verification badge (if applicable)
• Activity statistics (blog interactions, suggested posts)

3.2 Third-Party Services

We integrate with the following third-party services:

• Discord: For authentication via OAuth 2.0. We receive basic profile information as permitted by Discord's API
• MyCirkle: For membership verification. We send your Discord ID to verify your membership status
• Cloudflare: For hosting, security, and content delivery. Data is stored in Cloudflare Workers KV storage

3.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to:

• Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
• Enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Cirkle Development Group, our users, or the public

3.4 No Sale of Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Where We Store Data

• Cloudflare Workers KV: User accounts, sessions, blog posts, and activity data
• Encrypted Secrets: Authentication credentials stored securely in Cloudflare's secret management system
• Location: Data is stored on Cloudflare's global network, with automatic replication for reliability

4.2 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security practices:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Secure token-based authentication with 30-day expiration
• Encrypted storage of sensitive credentials (Discord OAuth secrets, JWT keys)
• Regular security audits and updates
• Access controls limiting who can view or modify data

5. Your Rights and Choices

5.1 Access and Control

You have the right to:

• Access: View all information associated with your account via your dashboard
• Update: Edit your profile information, bio, pronouns, and other details at any time
• Delete Content: Remove blog posts or comments you've created
• Account Deletion: Request complete account deletion by contacting us (see Section 9)

5.2 Cookies and Tracking

We use localStorage to maintain your session. You can clear this data through your browser settings, which will log you out. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or analytics.

5.3 Opt-Out Options

• You can choose not to verify your MyCirkle membership
• You can limit what profile information you provide
• You can stop using the platform at any time

6. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Specifically:

• Active Accounts: Data retained indefinitely while account is active
• Sessions: Authentication tokens expire after 30 days of inactivity
• Deleted Accounts: Upon account deletion, personal data is removed within 30 days. Public content (blog posts, comments) may be anonymized but retained for platform continuity
• Legal Holds: If required by law, certain data may be retained beyond standard retention periods

7. Children's Privacy

Our blog platform is not intended for users under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.

Users aged 13-17 should obtain parental or guardian consent before using our platform.

8. International Users

Our services are hosted on Cloudflare's global network. By using our platform, you consent to the transfer and processing of your information in countries where Cloudflare operates, which may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), we comply with GDPR principles and provide appropriate safeguards for data transfers.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• For material changes, we will provide prominent notice on our platform or via email (if you've provided one)
• Your continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

10. Contact Us

11. Additional Rights for EEA/UK Users

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to Access: Obtain confirmation of whether we process your data and receive a copy
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances
• Right to Restriction: Request restriction of processing under certain conditions
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 10.